Despite the success of records like Take That's Progress, the figures from music industry body the BPI show album sales have dropped by 22.5% since 2006 levels - down from 154.7 million to 119.9 million.

CD album sales have fallen 52.9 million in that time - more than a third - to 98.5 million in 2010.

But digital sales, while growing, have failed to show a corresponding rise, going up 18.2 million to 21 million.

Despite a much-repeated suggestion that vinyl single sales have seen a resurgence, the figures, compiled by the Official Chart Company, show they have now hit rock bottom. While total seven-inch sales amounted to more than a million in 2006, that figure is down 85% to just 152,000.

Twelve-inch singles have fared even worse, down from 1.3 million to just 67,000 in four years.

Overall singles sales have grown hugely each year since 2006 from 66.9 million to 161.8 million - although these figures now include sales of all individually downloaded tracks in addition to those formally released as singles.

Take That's Progress was the UK's biggest-selling album of 2010, with more than 1.8 million copies.